Immigration steps up Wira Waspada monitoring of foreigners in Labuan Bajo

Labuan Bajo — Immigration authorities in Labuan Bajo have intensified joint monitoring of foreign nationals in West Manggarai waters under an operation branded Wira Waspada, targeting foreign visitors on tourist vessels and resort islands around Komodo National Park.

The Labuan Bajo Immigration Office said the July 2025 maritime operation focused on checking whether foreign nationals staying on pinisi liveaboard boats and at small-island resorts held valid residence permits and were engaging only in activities allowed under those permits, according to local media reports quoting office head Charles Christian Mathaus.

Joint patrols in Labuan Bajo waters

The sea-based operation used fast boats to reach tourist ships and island resorts scattered across the waters off Labuan Bajo.

Mathaus said the targets were foreign nationals holidaying on tourist vessels and at remote resorts, adding that officers checked their immigration status and residence permits against the activities they were undertaking, according to an interview carried in regional news coverage.

He said the maritime focus reflected the fact that most foreign visitors in Labuan Bajo spend their time on or around the water, including diving trips and liveaboard cruises to nearby islands.

His comments were made as part of a nationwide series of Wira Waspada operations ordered by Indonesia’s Directorate General of Immigration, which has used the programme since 2025 to strengthen oversight of foreign nationals across multiple regions.

Support from other agencies

Separately, the Labuan Bajo Customs and Excise office reported joining a coordination meeting and roll call for a foreigner-monitoring operation in July 2025.

Customs said the gathering at a Labuan Bajo hotel brought together the Tim Pengawasan Orang Asing (Foreigners Monitoring Team) for sea and air areas, led by the Labuan Bajo Immigration Office.

The meeting was described as preparation for the Wira Waspada operation scheduled for the following day, with customs officials highlighting the goal of reinforcing cooperation on immigration law enforcement and security in West Manggarai.

Agencies involved in the team included immigration, customs and excise, the navy and other local stakeholders, according to the customs statement.

No immigration violations reported

Regional media quoting Mathaus reported that officers did not find immigration violations during the July 2025 maritime checks.

He said the situation regarding the presence and activities of foreign nationals in Labuan Bajo’s waters remained “very conducive” and that workers on tourist vessels had complete permits, according to the same reports.

Indonesia’s immigration directorate has separately reported catching large numbers of foreign nationals violating immigration rules during Wira Waspada operations in other regions, particularly Greater Jakarta and industrial and mining areas.

Those national figures underline the directorate’s push to make Wira Waspada a recurring tool for monitoring foreigners, with Labuan Bajo among the locations where local immigration offices have adapted the programme to tourism-led coastal and marine activities.

Labuan Bajo tourism context

Labuan Bajo serves as the main gateway to Komodo National Park and nearby islands, with tourism driven largely by marine activities.

Local and national reports on immigration operations in the area describe rising visitor numbers and a concentration of foreign-national activity on tourist boats, dive operations and coastal accommodation.

Against that backdrop, the formation of joint monitoring teams and the use of operations such as Wira Waspada are presented by immigration and partner agencies as measures to maintain legal compliance and security as Labuan Bajo’s tourism economy grows.

Sources

• detik.com Bali/Nusra regional news article on Wira Waspada operation in Labuan Bajo
• Labuan Bajo Customs and Excise (Bea Cukai) news page on foreigner-monitoring operation meeting
• Direktorat Jenderal Imigrasi official press releases on Operation Wira Waspada